Greens material



Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES SAMUEL H. HARTMAN AND HENRY L. rowrms, or LANCASTER-PENNSYLVANIA,AS-

srenons T0 anms'rnone coax oomranmor. LANCASTER, rnmrsyrvanra, A, eon,

POR-ATION OF PENNSYLVANIA ennnns MATnRrALjj No Drawing.

This invention relates to a greens material such as maybe employed, for example, in the surfacing of miniature golf courses, although it has numerous other applications. It may be employed as a greens material on full-sized golf courses where it is diflicult, because of climatic conditions, to maintain grass greens, or around the base of Christmas trees. It will hereinafter be particularly described as applied to miniature golf courses.

Golf courses of this character are usually constructed of a surface material laid over a porous bed. Various materials have been proposed for surfacing :for example, materials consisting essentially of cottonseed hulls, chicken feathers, peat moss, sawdust, sand, etc. Numerous objections have been raised to all of these materials. Some of them tend to pack too hard or to scuff up unduly under traflic. They may require a large amount of raking, rolling or sprinkling. They may absorb such a large quantity of moisture as to require the loss of a great deal of time after a rain, or they may stain the shoes of players or be of such character that they do not adapt themselves readily to contouring over hazards and obstacles in the course.

We have found a composition which overcomes all of these defects and provides a peculiarly desirable playing surface. We employ a material consisting essentially of saturated fibrous material. More specifically, we may employ comminuted felt-base scrap. Felt-base floor coverings are well known and a material amount of scrap is produced during manufacture. This material consists of a web of felt saturated with a bituminous material. We find that by grinding the same it forms the basis of a very desirable greens material. \Vhile a considerable amount of pigment is required in order to give it the proper color, the particles are inherently of such character as to be reasonably coherent. Consequently, on tamping or rolling the material compacts in a sufiicient amount to serve the purpose, although it never packs to such a point as to permanently unite the particles. We preferably employ with this ma- Application filed September 19,'1930;: Serial No;483,130.

teri-ala bulking filler or fillers, also incorporate a suitable oil in the mix; A'preferred composition is as follows: I

Ground-up felt base 200 pounds Wood flour 50 pounds Sand or other inert bulking ma- I terial 90 pounds Paraffin oil l 10 gallons 'To the above is added a mineral pigment intheamount of approximatelyfi pounds for each 100 poundsof the mix. The dry constituents are first mixed together, as, for example, in an ordinary concrete mixer, and then the oil is added, the mixing being continued until thorough distribution has been obtained.

Various bulking fillers, such as slate flour powdered limestone, kaolin, or the like may be substituted wholly or in part forthe sand. Other oils, such as creosote oils, may be employed. We prefer that'the oilshall be of a non' drying character so that the qualities of the composition are indefinitely retained. T-hep'i-gment is preferably. a mineral pigment in powdered form. This is preferable to a aye-01- stain, because the latter tend to fade outfthus giving a non-uniform color if a green has been patched or repaired.

Gur' material s very resistant to scuffing and has excellent qualities of resilience. It is notadversely affected by rain and can be played on within a' few minutes after a thorough wetting. The surface is about equivalent to grass so far as the speed of the ball is concerned. The material does not pack down and lie dead, although the character of the playingsurface can be adjusted over a wide range by rolling if it is desired to make the course faster, or by light raking or wetting if a slower course is wanted.

A great advantage of our invention is that it rovides an outlet for waste materials. Felt base and roofing are two examples of materials whose scrap may be readily em- Y ployed. There are numerous other industries, however, in which saturated fibrous material is employed, and the scrap therefrom finds ready disposal in accordance with the present invention.

ce j We have given a preferred embodiment of our invention by way of example only. It

will be understood that it is not thus limited but may be otherwise embodiedv Within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A surfacing material for golf greens I comprising comminuted saturated fibrous material which is inherently-coherentbut,f y W not permanently united, said surfacing mate 'c-" terial being relatively loose, porous, waterproof, resilient and resistant to scufiing' 2. A surfacing material for golf greens i I comprising comminuted saturated fibrous material which is inherently coherent but not permanently united and an inert bulking filler, said surfacing material being relatively loose, porous, waterproof, resilient and resistant to scuffing. V

3. A surfacing material for golf greens comprising villous comminuted saturated fibrous material which is inherently coherent but not permanently united, an inert bulking filler and a nondrying oil, said surfacing material being relatively loose, -porous waterproof, resilient and presenting a surface simulating the texture of natural grass. 4. A surfaclng material for golf greens comprising comminuted bitumen-saturated Q. fibrous material-winch 1s lnherently coherent" but not permanently united, sand, a mineral pigment and pa'raflin oil, said surfacing material being relatively loose, porous, waterproof, resilient, resistant to scufiingand presenting a surface simulatingthe texture of natural grass.

5. A surfacing material for golf greens comprising substantially 200- partsiofj com minuted bitumen-saturated fibrous material which is inherently coherent but not permanently united, 90 parts of sand and lO parts I I of paraflin oil, said surfacing material being relatively loose, porous, waterproof, resilient and resistant to scuffing. I a

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands. r I p SAMUELv H. HARTMAN.

HENRY L. POWERS. 

